Congressman Allen Boyd this week introduced the Gulf Oyster Protection Act of 2009 in the House of Representatives a move designed to block a US Food and Drug Administration plan that would ban the sale of raw gulf coast oysters for up to 7 months a year. The FDA announced last month that beginning in April of 2011 it would ban the interstate sale of raw gulf coast oysters to protect consumers from a naturally occurring bacterium called Vibrio vulnificus. Instead any oysters sold during those months would require post harvest treatment like quick freezing or irradiation, processes which are known to kill the Vibrio bacteria. Currently about 15 percent of Gulf Coast oysters receive Post Harvest treatment. Vibrio causes illness in about 30 people a year and kills an average of 15 people annually. The bacterium, however, only affects people with compromised immune systems. People who are susceptible to Vibrio can get it not only from raw oysters but even if they swim in the Gulf of Mexico with open wounds. Legislation introduced by Congressman Boyd this week would prohibit the Food and Drug Administration from using federal funds to implement any regulations that would inhibit oyster harvesting in the Gulf Coast during the months of May to November. Congressman Boyd said he will be working at every juncture to get more answers and to block the FDA from implementing these harmful regulations. He added that “The FDA has provided no justification as to why they would impose this new regulation on shellfish farmers, and little consideration seems to be given to the impact that this would have on the industry and the citizens trying to earn a living. This legislation will protect the livelihood of our Gulf Coast oyster farmers by ensuring they can continue to operate in the same safe, efficient and reliable manner they have been for over a hundred years.”
http://www.oysterradio.com
No comments:
Post a Comment